http://www.johnbeagle.com/posts/2009/01/05/jamica-mon/ http://www.johnbeagle.com/posts/2009/01/05/jamica-mon/#comments Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:39:00 +0000 John Beagle http://johnbeagle.com/?p=105

Jamica Mon, originally uploaded by John Beagle.

Last year we invited Mongolian Exchange students into our home.
More: Mongolian Music Friends

This year, our family met people from Jamica. The photo is of my son, Bobby demonstrating his knowledge of the culture, Rastafarianism*. Don’t worry, be happy.

*Some Rastafari wear their hair in an untended, uncut condition called dreadlocks. They generally believe in the Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia. He is said to be the true descendant of Solomon, and precepts are shared amongst followers as folklore.

John Beagle, Xponex Web and Media Services

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Bill Murphy Meeting 059, originally uploaded by John Beagle.

I was surprised the other day when Bill Murphy, the City of Middletown’s Economic Director, called me and asked for an appointment.

Bill said he was on a mission to meet businesses in the city and find out what the city can do for them.

So, when he showed up today, he brought the president of Sawyer Realtors a 70 year old Middletown Company) , John Sawyer.

Also with Bill was Fred Debiasi. Fred sits on the board for the Chamber of Commerce and is the President of America Savings and Loan.

“We have to listen to our existing businesses first. We want to find out if the city can do anything to help. What can the city do for your company?” were the questions being asked.

We had a good brainstorming session. One thing we all agreed to do was to help get the good word out about Middletown, Ohio. To help people find Middletown through positive news. Businesses in Middletown need to share their good economic news, tell the real story of Middletown instead of the one the newspaper tells about car wrecks and social ills. That’s not the real news of Middletown.

Real news is news such as job promotions, new products, locations and visions for the future. Middletown is located in a prime area for growth, midway between Cincinnati and Dayton. Locating your business in Middletown puts your business in the heart of the entire SW Ohio MSA (Cincinnati and Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area) .

We intend to distribute Middletown, Ohio news through the city’s website and MiddletownUSA.com.

John Beagle is my son and I am proud of him.

He scored a near perfect in math on the ACT test. He is a cook at the Red Onion Restaurant, working under Chef Gary Heinz, who was the Chef at the Maisonette, a five star restaurant.

Johnny, as we all call him, played Monroe HS soccer for four years and was top scorer in his division. He has recently taken up golf and expects to beat me this summer. I said no way.

Johnny will go to the Ohio State University this fall. He has been accepted into the Honors program where he will figure out what kind of engineering student he wants to be.

The video is from a speech he gave at the Middletown Community Foundation Awards Banquet in May of 2008. Johnny has been a active member of the MCF for 3 years.

AK Steel Headquarters in Middletown, originally uploaded by John Beagle.

Now that AK Steel has moved its headquarters to West Chester, what will happen to the old headquarters?

Also what will happen to the statue William M. Verity, the founder of Armco, predecessor of AK?